28 November 2012

Zed savages Katy's work ethic

| johnboy
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Liberal leader Zed Seselja is putting his spin on events in the Legislative Assembly.

(As the only things the Chief Minister sees fit to share with the public are centenary fluff and operatic back slapping we’ll have to take his word for it)

“One of the first things that Katy Gallagher said when she was elected was that we needed to increase the number of politicians to deal with the workload. The first thing Katy Gallagher actually did was move for shorter days, longer lunches and less working weeks,” Mr Seselja said today.

“Under the Greens/Labor Coalition, the Assembly now only sits between 10am and 6pm, three days a week, with a two hour lunch break.

“Even the number of working weeks has reduced, down to just 13 weeks a year, a total 39 days.

“ACT Labor has made all these changes by using their new numbers and acting like a majority government that can never lose – or they want to avoid the scrutiny of the Chamber as much as possible over the next four years.

“But they do not have an outright majority. This from a party that lost the popular vote at the last election. The move to force a stalemate on Committees will inevitably see Committees being less productive and there being less scrutiny of Government.

“The first sitting of the Assembly has shown a coalition which appears determined to do all it can to avoid scrutiny and collaboration. The Canberra Liberals will do whatever we can to ensure that the Government is not able to get away with it.”

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thisnexus said :

I know it sounds bad, the long lunches and all, but I challenge any of you to sit through a full sitting day in the Assembly… I reckon if every voter had to do it, it would change there minds about, well, democracy for a start 🙂 but seriously the exposure to the crappy, petty, time wasting theatre… the assembly could actually operate well on 13 weeks if there wasn’t such much philerbusting, dead end motions and ridiculous standing order arguments. The Gumnit isn’t taking long lunches with their feet in the pool and a cocktail in hand, they are usually reading bills, writing speeches, and planning shinagins, and yes, functions, meetings etc…

Sounds like a giant circle-jerk to me.

DrKoresh said :

You were the one who asked the question.

I just pointed it out.

But feel free to continue to act like a complete nob.

The question which had already been answered in a far more helpful capacity but Chip17? Yeah thanks for that and it’s actually ‘knob’ by the way, I’d expect of you if you were actually some kind of real author.

I await the publication of your next book with anticipation.

Boom tish. Point nicely made. 🙂

thisnexus said :

the assembly could actually operate well on 13 weeks if there wasn’t such much philerbusting, dead end motions and ridiculous standing order arguments. The Gumnit isn’t taking long lunches with their feet in the pool and a cocktail in hand, they are usually reading bills, writing speeches, and planning shinagins, and yes, functions, meetings etc…

A total 39 days of the year. If there are 261 working days in the year, what happens on the other 222 working days? Isn’t that when ministers (or their departmental stooges) should be reading bills, writing speeches, attending functions, meetings etc? Sitting days are for … well … sitting.

I know it sounds bad, the long lunches and all, but I challenge any of you to sit through a full sitting day in the Assembly… I reckon if every voter had to do it, it would change there minds about, well, democracy for a start 🙂 but seriously the exposure to the crappy, petty, time wasting theatre… the assembly could actually operate well on 13 weeks if there wasn’t such much philerbusting, dead end motions and ridiculous standing order arguments. The Gumnit isn’t taking long lunches with their feet in the pool and a cocktail in hand, they are usually reading bills, writing speeches, and planning shinagins, and yes, functions, meetings etc…

chewy14 said :

cmdwedge said :

Jim Jones said :

cmdwedge said :

DrKoresh said :

cmdwedge said :

What’s the problem? They obviously had more to decide than the Labor party – the Liberal have a larger number of portfolios that they are concentrating on.

Do you mean Zed’s new ‘Cost of Living’ portfolio? Please, the idea that people are actually swallowing that bullshit is even more sickening than Zed expecting them to.

Cost of living is important to me. I have a mortgage, two kids, both my wife and I are in full time employment and we find it hard! Childcare costs us about $35K/year after the government rebate. That’s the majority of my wife’s income.

I hope you have private health insurance, otherwise you’d never be able to afford a waaaaahmbulance

Being concerned about cost of living is having a whine, now? What a sad little man you are.

Quiet down, of course it’s a whine.

The only people who are allowed to be worried about anything are disabled, aboriginal, lesbian single mothers. They’re doin’ it tough.

Lol. It’s funny cause it’s true. All the middle-class people are suffering terribly while everyone else just has buckets and buckets of money thrown at them by this stinking communist gummint.

cmdwedge said :

Jim Jones said :

cmdwedge said :

DrKoresh said :

cmdwedge said :

What’s the problem? They obviously had more to decide than the Labor party – the Liberal have a larger number of portfolios that they are concentrating on.

Do you mean Zed’s new ‘Cost of Living’ portfolio? Please, the idea that people are actually swallowing that bullshit is even more sickening than Zed expecting them to.

Cost of living is important to me. I have a mortgage, two kids, both my wife and I are in full time employment and we find it hard! Childcare costs us about $35K/year after the government rebate. That’s the majority of my wife’s income.

I hope you have private health insurance, otherwise you’d never be able to afford a waaaaahmbulance

Being concerned about cost of living is having a whine, now? What a sad little man you are.

Quiet down, of course it’s a whine.

The only people who are allowed to be worried about anything are disabled, aboriginal, lesbian single mothers. They’re doin’ it tough.

cmdwedge said :

Jim Jones said :

cmdwedge said :

DrKoresh said :

cmdwedge said :

What’s the problem? They obviously had more to decide than the Labor party – the Liberal have a larger number of portfolios that they are concentrating on.

Do you mean Zed’s new ‘Cost of Living’ portfolio? Please, the idea that people are actually swallowing that bullshit is even more sickening than Zed expecting them to.

Cost of living is important to me. I have a mortgage, two kids, both my wife and I are in full time employment and we find it hard! Childcare costs us about $35K/year after the government rebate. That’s the majority of my wife’s income.

I hope you have private health insurance, otherwise you’d never be able to afford a waaaaahmbulance

Being concerned about cost of living is having a whine, now? What a sad little man you are.

Sssh … listen … I can even hear the siren now.

DrKoresh said :

You were the one who asked the question.

I just pointed it out.

But feel free to continue to act like a complete nob.

The question which had already been answered in a far more helpful capacity but Chip17? Yeah thanks for that and it’s actually ‘knob’ by the way, I’d expect of you if you were actually some kind of real author.

Er, I’ve read Thumper’s book. It was written with feeling, character, purpose and (most importantly!) substantially grammatically correct.

Go away you offensive little grub.

DrKoresh said :

You were the one who asked the question.

I just pointed it out.

But feel free to continue to act like a complete nob.

The question which had already been answered in a far more helpful capacity but Chip17? Yeah thanks for that and it’s actually ‘knob’ by the way, I’d expect of you if you were actually some kind of real author.

Unless Thumper was referring to you as one of the gentry, then nob is correct.

NOTE: This does not mean I think Thumper, DrKoresh or any of the majority of RA contributors are knobs or nobs. That privilege is reversed for a select few.

You were the one who asked the question.

I just pointed it out.

But feel free to continue to act like a complete nob.

The question which had already been answered in a far more helpful capacity but Chip17? Yeah thanks for that and it’s actually ‘knob’ by the way, I’d expect of you if you were actually some kind of real author.

My belief is that Ms Gallagher and her cohorts did not expect to be re-elected and packed their respective bags beforehand expecting to relax on the thorns of their actions. Now that they have been re-elected, they have re-written the rules and produced spin for justification. The Electorate, in turn, has recognised that the Gallagher government and Mr Stanhope before simply did not have enough time to consult every rate/taxpayer and voter; and accept this slowing down in process as consideration of Labors efforts that made Canberra we live in or are economically imprisoned in today.

Jim Jones said :

cmdwedge said :

DrKoresh said :

cmdwedge said :

What’s the problem? They obviously had more to decide than the Labor party – the Liberal have a larger number of portfolios that they are concentrating on.

Do you mean Zed’s new ‘Cost of Living’ portfolio? Please, the idea that people are actually swallowing that bullshit is even more sickening than Zed expecting them to.

Cost of living is important to me. I have a mortgage, two kids, both my wife and I are in full time employment and we find it hard! Childcare costs us about $35K/year after the government rebate. That’s the majority of my wife’s income.

I hope you have private health insurance, otherwise you’d never be able to afford a waaaaahmbulance

Being concerned about cost of living is having a whine, now? What a sad little man you are.

cmdwedge said :

DrKoresh said :

cmdwedge said :

What’s the problem? They obviously had more to decide than the Labor party – the Liberal have a larger number of portfolios that they are concentrating on.

Do you mean Zed’s new ‘Cost of Living’ portfolio? Please, the idea that people are actually swallowing that bullshit is even more sickening than Zed expecting them to.

Cost of living is important to me. I have a mortgage, two kids, both my wife and I are in full time employment and we find it hard! Childcare costs us about $35K/year after the government rebate. That’s the majority of my wife’s income.

I hope you have private health insurance, otherwise you’d never be able to afford a waaaaahmbulance

This is all getting a bit silly. There’s good and bad to all of these points.

– it is up to the Libs when they announce their shadow cabinet. They probably decided they would get better publicity at the start of a sitting week rather than in the void (I don’t know – but it makes sense). They do seem to have become more media savvy in the past year or so.

– long lunches are good and bad. It can be a real pain to try to get an MLA in a sitting week, so a 2 hour lunch helps, maybe. Maybe the commoners will be able to get a meeting now. That said, it is of concern that the Labor-Green coalition wants that time for functions (No one would be suggesting long, Hargreaves-style lunches?).

– reducing the number of sitting weeks is not good. It can sometimes be the only way to put pressure on the government, given the close relationship of government with some media outlets. Maybe Labor have finally realised that the Assembly is a waste of their time when they control the votes anyway. Who needs pesky questions from an opposition?

DrKoresh said :

cmdwedge said :

What’s the problem? They obviously had more to decide than the Labor party – the Liberal have a larger number of portfolios that they are concentrating on.

Do you mean Zed’s new ‘Cost of Living’ portfolio? Please, the idea that people are actually swallowing that bullshit is even more sickening than Zed expecting them to.

Cost of living is important to me. I have a mortgage, two kids, both my wife and I are in full time employment and we find it hard! Childcare costs us about $35K/year after the government rebate. That’s the majority of my wife’s income.

DrKoresh said :

DrKoresh said :

Do we even have a shadow cabinet yet? Or is Mr Seselja too busy muck-raking the ALP to have sorted one? Christ, Zed, move on already. You’d be doing us, the electorate, a favour; you’d be doing the Liberals a favour; but most importantly here, you’d be doing yourself a favour.

Yes.

Yes to what, Thumper? Clearly I missed the article on Monday when I wrote this, but I’ve since commented on it so maybe you two should pay some attention too? Besides my main point was that it still took them weeks and weeks to sort out the Shadow Ministry.

You were the one who asked the question.

I just pointed it out.

But feel free to continue to act like a complete nob.

Go easy on the Dr,

Although he is a couple of days behind the news, remember he is a ‘hero’ in love with Katy and ambulance drivers. I’m not sure what he thinks of hospital stats and waiting times.

…..now that will get his blood boiling.

So the most important issue you first look at for the new actgubmint is not anything to do with education, nor health, nor roads, nor buses, nothing to do with whatsoever what the ACT people actually want from their gubmint. The gubmints most important issue is whether you should have an hour and a half for lunch or two hours. I am so glad to see ALL the peoples votes are going to good use.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Exactly. These people do no where near enough work. Going to functions is not work either and certainly not part of their job.

No, they ‘reduced’ (if you accept that) the sitting days of the assembly. Which is a totally different thing to reducing the work done by the politicians (indeed, I suspect its by far the least productive part of their work; although I accept it is necessary for many reasons).

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

cmdwedge said :

Exactly. These people do no where near enough work. Going to functions is not work either and certainly not part of their job.

beg to differ – getting out and about among the constituents is a major part of their functioning (to excuse the pun) and is a crucial part of their diaries. but these con often be after hours (or in the swathes of time in non-sitting weeks – it should be up to the organisers to ensure their soiree doesn’t clash with the committed time of their intended ‘star’ guests) and shouldn’t compromise the time spent in the chamber.

cmdwedge said :

What’s the problem? They obviously had more to decide than the Labor party – the Liberal have a larger number of portfolios that they are concentrating on.

Do you mean Zed’s new ‘Cost of Living’ portfolio? Please, the idea that people are actually swallowing that bullshit is even more sickening than Zed expecting them to.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd2:17 pm 28 Nov 12

cmdwedge said :

In for a penny, in for a pound.

““One of the first things that Katy Gallagher said when she was elected was that we needed to increase the number of politicians to deal with the workload. The first thing Katy Gallagher actually did was move for shorter days, longer lunches and less working weeks,” Mr Seselja said today.”

This says it all. Katy said that there is too much work to do, so the first thing she does is lower the number of working days for pollies? What the hell? Now the argument is ‘oh, but now they can go to functions’. Functions, whilst important, are not time in the Chamber. Time in the Chamber is where the real nitty-gritty work gets done. There is a TONNE of other time available to our MLAs to go to functions. If those functions (aka Union love-ins, most likely) are that important, and they absolutely MUST have Dear Leader there, they will schedule those events around sitting times.

Exactly. These people do no where near enough work. Going to functions is not work either and certainly not part of their job.

In for a penny, in for a pound.

““One of the first things that Katy Gallagher said when she was elected was that we needed to increase the number of politicians to deal with the workload. The first thing Katy Gallagher actually did was move for shorter days, longer lunches and less working weeks,” Mr Seselja said today.”

This says it all. Katy said that there is too much work to do, so the first thing she does is lower the number of working days for pollies? What the hell? Now the argument is ‘oh, but now they can go to functions’. Functions, whilst important, are not time in the Chamber. Time in the Chamber is where the real nitty-gritty work gets done. There is a TONNE of other time available to our MLAs to go to functions. If those functions (aka Union love-ins, most likely) are that important, and they absolutely MUST have Dear Leader there, they will schedule those events around sitting times.

DrKoresh said :

DrKoresh said :

Do we even have a shadow cabinet yet? Or is Mr Seselja too busy muck-raking the ALP to have sorted one? Christ, Zed, move on already. You’d be doing us, the electorate, a favour; you’d be doing the Liberals a favour; but most importantly here, you’d be doing yourself a favour.

Yes.

Yes to what, Thumper? Clearly I missed the article on Monday when I wrote this, but I’ve since commented on it so maybe you two should pay some attention too? Besides my main point was that it still took them weeks and weeks to sort out the Shadow Ministry.

Am I missing something, here, DrKoresh? Are you suggesting that Thumper is somehow at fault because you asked in THIS thread whether Zed had formed a shadow cabinet yet, Thumper replied ‘yes’ and then you attack Thumper for not reading the other thread.. which you’ve now gone and read?

The Liberals had their shadow cabinet announced prior to the first (real) sitting of the Assembly, which was yesterday. What’s the problem? They obviously had more to decide than the Labor party – the Liberal have a larger number of portfolios that they are concentrating on.

it’s ‘fewer’ working weeks, zed. no wonder you’re in opposition (or is that your? or yore?) 🙂

good point he raises, though. our elected leaders should be on the job in a position of public scrutiny more often, not less. what does gunghalin al think of this, i wonder (though assume the rat had a casting say, so green line would be to go with zed’s ‘lazy katy’?)

DrKoresh said :

Do we even have a shadow cabinet yet? Or is Mr Seselja too busy muck-raking the ALP to have sorted one? Christ, Zed, move on already. You’d be doing us, the electorate, a favour; you’d be doing the Liberals a favour; but most importantly here, you’d be doing yourself a favour.

Yes.

Yes to what, Thumper? Clearly I missed the article on Monday when I wrote this, but I’ve since commented on it so maybe you two should pay some attention too? Besides my main point was that it still took them weeks and weeks to sort out the Shadow Ministry.

DrKoresh said :

Do we even have a shadow cabinet yet? Or is Mr Seselja too busy muck-raking the ALP to have sorted one? Christ, Zed, move on already. You’d be doing us, the electorate, a favour; you’d be doing the Liberals a favour; but most importantly here, you’d be doing yourself a favour.

http://the-riotact.com/the-liberal-shadow-ministry/89489

Seems you’re 2 days behind the times

Do we even have a shadow cabinet yet? Or is Mr Seselja too busy muck-raking the ALP to have sorted one? Christ, Zed, move on already. You’d be doing us, the electorate, a favour; you’d be doing the Liberals a favour; but most importantly here, you’d be doing yourself a favour.

The break during the middle of the day is clearly not for “longer lunches” – it’s to give our local politicians a chance to go to many of the public events they’re invited to every day and time to deal with other issues. Zed is doing what he does best, spinning lies.

Stop whining Zed, it’s getting boring. You lost.

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